Browsing by Subject "Green building"

Now showing 1 - 10 of 10
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    A Cost-Benefit Analysis of Rainwater Harvesting
    (2008-04-24T23:31:40Z) Hicks, William D
    Rainwater harvesting has provided a water source for communities around the world dating back to circa 1500 B.C. This ancient technology continues to serve populations today, mainly in poor, rural or dry regions of the world and island communities. Contemporary green building and stormwater management programs (e.g., Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design – LEED, Low Impact Development – LID, Better Site Design) suggest that rainwater harvesting can serve as a valuable stormwater management tool even in areas where municipal water supplies are readily available. Regardless, private developers are most apt to incorporate these systems into commercial development designs if the benefits justify the costs. Analyses of local rainfall data and predicted potential water usage at commercial facilities in Arlington County, Virginia reveal that rainwater harvesting systems conserve potable water, protect surface water quality and minimize flood risk. However, economic analyses from the perspective of a private developer using two case studies of commercial developments in Arlington suggest that the benefits of incorporating rainwater harvesting into building designs do not justify the cost of implementing this technique. Notwithstanding, results from a sensitivity analysis indicate that charging tenants a modest price premium of one percent or less for the privilege of occupying a “green” building yields a positive return to investing in rainwater harvesting.
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    ItemOpen Access
    Cincinnati Takes the Lead in LEED: Effects of a real estate tax abatement for LEED certification on development and green building
    (2009-04-24T16:12:46Z) LaJeunesse, Katherine
    Local governments have played an important role in the adoption of the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System. Many local governments offer incentives for the private sector to utilize this green building rating system, including density bonuses, expedited permitting, rebate of permit fees, and tax abatements. In May 2007, the City of Cincinnati, Ohio passed an ordinance that provides an automatic 15 year, 74% real estate tax abatement for commercial new construction that achieves LEED certification. Cincinnati’s LEED tax exemption program is unique because it combines a large tax break, available for a long period of time, for a relatively low level of achievement in the LEED rating system. The purpose of this project was to determine if Cincinnati’s LEED-CRA tax exemption program is encouraging LEED building within the City of Cincinnati and if it is promoting the use of green building practices through the LEED rating system. A comparison of the volume of LEED projects in Cincinnati and other large Ohio cities revealed that the instatement of the LEED-CRA tax abatement program is likely to have had an effect on the recent upward trend in LEED-registered projects in Cincinnati. Owners of LEED-registered projects and developers without LEED projects in the Cincinnati area were surveyed, with the goal of finding out their motivations for building LEED and their perceptions of the City’s tax abatement program. Most respondents liked Cincinnati’s current LEED tax abatement program, highlighting it as a simple and easy-to-use program. They thought the program was a motivating factor within the City limits, which may be one indicator of the program’s success as an economic development tool. The tax abatement was also found to be an incentive to use the LEED certification system on projects that would otherwise not have been built to LEED standards.
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    EVALUATION OF THE PROJECT DELIVERY PROCESS FOR DUKE GREEN BUILDINGS
    (2009-04-24T03:33:32Z) Dao, Amy
    Since 2003, Duke’s sustainable buildings policy has required that all new and retrofit buildings be LEED certified at a minimum, while “every reasonable effort will be made to achieve silver or higher ratings.” As Duke University strives to achieve its commitments to become carbon neutral, green building will play an increasingly important role for campus sustainability. However, to date Duke has conducted no internal evaluations of the LEED process, and recent reviews of LEED scorecards show that Duke green buildings are achieving the least points possible in the energy category. Using qualitative interviews and case studies of LEED certified buildings, this study aims to evaluate the green building design and implementation process at Duke, and to provide useful feedback for improvements that might aid in the decision-making process. The results of this study emerged under five themes: (1) Environmental goals, (2) Motivation and perceptions, (3) Methods and criterion for financial analysis, (4) Communication and interaction of stakeholders, and (5) Timeliness. The results were analyzed from a Conventional versus Integrated Design framework, and concluding recommendations were made that would increase the practice of integrated design.
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    Green Building at Duke University: Potential Energy Savings and GHG Benefits Achieved by Renovating Existing Residence Halls
    (2008-04-24T20:47:57Z) Franken, Jason
    In the U.S., buildings currently account for 65% of total electricity consumption, 36% of total primary energy use, 12% of potable water consumption and 30% of total greenhouse gas emissions. The growing field of green building encourages non-traditional building designs that reduce energy use and natural resource consumption which in turn minimize adverse environmental impacts. This study assesses the energy and environmental benefits achieved through a recent LEED-certified renovation at Duke University’s Kilgo Quad. Data for this analysis was collected by performing sustainability audits and reviewing utility records to quantify changes in energy and water consumption at Kilgo Quad and Few Quad, a similar building which is slated for renovation in Summer 2008. Compared to the 2001 baseline, Kilgo Quad experienced significant reductions of 20% in electricity consumption and 35% in water consumption immediately following the renovation in 2004. However, Few Quad experienced greater reductions of 35% in electricity consumption and nearly 50% in water consumption over the same time period, without the benefit of any renovation. After 2005, annual increases in resource consumption were two to three times larger in magnitude at Kilgo, returning the building to nearly pre-renovation levels by 2006. By 2006, despite having less square footage, fewer people and the benefit of the recently-completed renovation, Kilgo Quad used more energy per square foot and more water per person than Few Quad. Kilgo Quad’s overall CO2-eq emissions actually surpassed the emissions from Few Quad in 2006 as well. While no single factor can be determined to account for this under-performance, it is my belief that changes in individual demand for resources were a key driver behind the unexpectedly high consumption levels at Kilgo. Upgrades to electrical wiring increased plug-in load capacity by a factor of ten, enabling occupants to use electricity differently and possibly contributing to greater phantom load impacts and a rebound effect, neutralizing any efficiency gains expected after the renovation. Further study is needed to determine exactly why Kilgo Quad is not performing as well as Few Quad and exerting a larger impact on the environment. Green building offers numerous benefits, and can contribute significantly to Duke University’s goal of becoming carbon-neutral in the future, however it should be noted that achieving LEED certification does not necessarily guarantee long-term reductions in energy and water consumption. University planners must consider whether a renovation will change a building’s capacity for consuming resources and then seek a good balance between optimal comfort and effective resource management. Occupant education and improved metering strategies are also critical keys to successful green renovations at Duke University.
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    Increasing Homeowner Demand for Energy Efficiency Retrofits: Recommendations for the North Carolina Building Performance Association
    (2017-04-26) Li, Isa; Magner, Peter; Sanders, Christopher
    With rising concern aimed at energy consumption and its environmental impacts, efforts are being made to conserve energy across the United States. Nearly half of all domestic energy use is dedicated to homes and buildings. Despite significant strides by the homebuilding industry to design new energy efficient structures, a significant portion of the current housing stock includes inefficient, poor-performing homes. The North Carolina Building Performance Association (NCBPA) tasked us with identifying the barriers preventing homeowners from investing in home energy retrofits and offering pertinent recommendations to address these roadblocks. Through an exhaustive review of current literature and key insight from industry leaders, we distilled the many barriers into four areas: consumer education, home valuation, financing, and marketing. Our recommendations include building-out NCBPA consumer education website, hiring of a full-time data manager to create an inventory focused on capturing metrics surrounding home valuation, developing a conjoint marketing plan to target specific audiences, and continuing to push for commercial PACE and on-bill financing in North Carolina.
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    Leapfrogging to a Green Building Code in Bolivia: A Policy Analysis
    (2016-04-27) Legge, Darren; Stanton, Darius II; Tran, Theo
    In Bolivia, building codes are a nascent development. This presents an opportunity to learn from the international community, possibly even “leapfrogging” directly to a code that incorporates environmentally sustainable features. On behalf of our client, Partners of the Americas, this report assesses the opportunity for Bolivian municipalities to adopt commercial building codes similar to those developed by the International Code Council. Specifically, we analyze the International Building Code (IBC) and the International Green Construction Code (IgCC) for use in Bolivia’s three principal cities: La Paz, Cochabamba and Santa Cruz. We analyze the policies’ effectiveness in achieving building safety and environmental health improvements, as well as their potential economic costs and benefits. We also evaluate the feasibility of policy adoption and implementation.
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    LEED vs. ENERGY STAR: A Cost/Benefit Analysis of Sustainability Labels for Commercial Buildings
    (2011-04-22) Hiser, Stephen
    Existing commercial buildings are at the forefront of efforts to address climate change through the implementation of energy efficiency upgrades and other sustainability measures. These efforts have been supported by both public and private organizations, and appear to be gaining momentum as the United States continues to search for ways to make its existing and future infrastructure more sustainable. As a result of the push for more green buildings, many real estate investors have elected to pursue sustainability labels for their existing building portfolios, including the ENERGY STAR rating and Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design - Existing Buildings: Operations & Maintenance (LEED-EBOM) certification. These labels are designed to certify and verify a commercial building’s operating efficiency with respect to sustainability and environmental impact. There is much industry speculation over whether these labels contribute to overall building value for the investor, and if other intangible benefits exist for owners/operators and/or building occupants. This project attempts to provide institutional real estate investors, such as real estate investment trusts (REITs), with general guidelines for selecting one of the aforementioned sustainability labels based on its potential contribution to building value and possible reductions in carbon dioxide emissions attributable to building operations. Analyses were conducted using fundamental real estate valuation models and industry data to evaluate financial and environmental costs and benefits associated with the ENERGY STAR and LEED-EBOM building labels. Financial costs and benefits were analyzed using the direct capitalization valuation model, as well as simple and discounted payback models. Other materials and resources associated with the ENERGY STAR and/or LEED-EBOM labels contributing to other possible benefits were analyzed qualitatively. The results of these analyses indicate that both the ENERGY STAR and LEED-EBOM labels may increase overall building value, while reducing operations-based carbon dioxide emissions. In addition, the results reveal that one label cannot be deemed absolutely superior to the other, and that selection depends upon other factors specific to the investor and/or building project. Based on these findings, a set of general guidelines has been provided to assist real estate investors evaluate the merits and drawbacks associated with the ENERGY STAR and LEED-EBOM sustainability labels for existing commercial buildings. It is my hope that these guidelines will enable real estate investors to make sound financial and environmental decisions when implementing strategies to make existing commercial building operations more sustainable.
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    NYC Co-op and Condominium Board Guide to Energy Efficiency Upgrades in Buildings
    (2012-04-27) Smykal, Allison; Smedick, David; Symonds, Jason; Jia, Yuan; Opp, Thomas
    Abstract NYC CO-OP AND CONDOMINIUM GUIDE TO ENERGY EFFICIENCY UPGRADES by Aimee Jia, Thomas Opp, David Smedick, Allison Smykal, Jason Symonds May 2012 The purpose of this project is to help Better Buildings New York (BBNY), a non-profit organization focused on increasing energy efficiency and decreasing energy bills of NYC buildings, educate multifamily co-op and condo boards on energy efficiency upgrades and retrofits available for their buildings. The current market for these technologies and opportunities is vast, and at times, overwhelming. Various energy efficiency technologies exist with different costs, energy savings and impacts. Therefore, there was a need to create a medium for which these technologies and benefits could be communicated in a quick, non-technical, and easily understood manner. BBNY’s audience for this project is co-op and condo boards in multifamily apartment buildings. In these types of buildings, they are the decision-makers who are responsible for making renovation/retrofit choices. Therefore, this project focuses around the myriad of energy efficient technologies that are applicable to multifamily building environments, and how to convey this information to this type of audience. The research team used literature review, NYC building data sets, and Department of Energy modeling software (eQUEST) to vet a list of technologies BBNY was interested in presenting to board members. Each technology was researched to find information relating to five areas: capital costs, energy efficiency gains, payback periods, consistency of payback periods, and difficulty of installation. Once this information was collected, the team decided that there would be two main deliverables for the client. The first deliverable is a full academic report that delves into the intricate methodology and technical analysis used to evaluate each technology. This report serves as a reference for understanding the various types of technologies available for multifamily retrofits, and a breakdown of their functionality. However, due to the background of the intended audience, the team wanted to create a way for the technologies to be easily understood and compared to one another. Therefore, a second deliverable was developed with a ranking system to rate each of the technologies within the five previously defined areas. The ranking score used quantitative and qualitative information from the original research, and provided a way to compare the technologies against each other. The first part of the second deliverable is a condensed brochure that takes each technology and evaluates it on a single page, with a chart displaying the ranking score it received when compared to the whole list of technologies covered. The second part of the second deliverable is an MS Excel tool that offers a dynamic ranking system to provide a personalized list of technologies related to building attributes and user preference. From these two deliverables, BBNY has the means to provide co-op and condo boards with guidance on energy efficient, retrofit technologies. The decision-makers in thousands of multifamily buildings now have a starting point to learn what technologies may be appropriate for further investigation. It is through these types of grassroots, information campaigns that energy efficiency gains and carbon footprint reductions in multifamily buildings can become a reality in New York City. Approved Dr. Peter Haff April 18, 2012 Date Master's Project submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Master of Environmental Management degree in the Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University May 2012
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    ItemOpen Access
    NYC Co-op and Condominium Board Guide to Energy Efficiency Upgrades in Buildings
    (2012-04-27) Smedick, David; Symonds, Jason; Smykal, Allison; Opp, Thomas; Jia, Yuan
    The purpose of this project is to help Better Buildings New York (BBNY), a non-profit organization focused on increasing energy efficiency and decreasing energy bills of NYC buildings, educate multifamily co-op and condo boards on energy efficiency upgrades and retrofits available for their buildings. The current market for these technologies and opportunities is vast, and at times, overwhelming. Various energy efficiency technologies exist with different costs, energy savings and impacts. Therefore, there was a need to create a medium for which these technologies and benefits could be communicated in a quick, non-technical, and easily understood manner. BBNY’s audience for this project is co-op and condo boards in multifamily apartment buildings. In these types of buildings, they are the decision-makers who are responsible for making renovation/retrofit choices. Therefore, this project focuses around the myriad of energy efficient technologies that are applicable to multifamily building environments, and how to convey this information to this type of audience. The research team used literature review, NYC building data sets, and Department of Energy modeling software (eQUEST) to vet a list of technologies BBNY was interested in presenting to board members. Each technology was researched to find information relating to five areas: capital costs, energy efficiency gains, payback periods, consistency of payback periods, and difficulty of installation. Once this information was collected, the team decided that there would be two main deliverables for the client. The first deliverable is a full academic report that delves into the intricate methodology and technical analysis used to evaluate each technology. This report serves as a reference for understanding the various types of technologies available for multifamily retrofits, and a breakdown of their functionality. However, due to the background of the intended audience, the team wanted to create a way for the technologies to be easily understood and compared to one another. Therefore, a second deliverable was developed with a ranking system to rate each of the technologies within the five previously defined areas. The ranking score used quantitative and qualitative information from the original research, and provided a way to compare the technologies against each other. The first part of the second deliverable is a condensed brochure that takes each technology and evaluates it on a single page, with a chart displaying the ranking score it received when compared to the whole list of technologies covered. The second part of the second deliverable is an MS Excel tool that offers a dynamic ranking system to provide a personalized list of technologies related to building attributes and user preference. From these two deliverables, BBNY has the means to provide co-op and condo boards with guidance on energy efficient, retrofit technologies. The decision-makers in thousands of multifamily buildings now have a starting point to learn what technologies may be appropriate for further investigation. It is through these types of grassroots, information campaigns that energy efficiency gains and carbon footprint reductions in multifamily buildings can become a reality in New York City.
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    Sustainable Materials and Technologies in the Built Environment: Duke Athletics as a Case Study
    (2014-04-22) Nitschke, Drew
    In 2011, Duke University began a major fundraising campaign, with a significant portion of the money being allocated to several construction projects across campus, of which are either currently under construction or within the planning phases. Because of the university’s strong commitment to sustainability, as outlined in Duke’s Climate Action Plan, there’s been significant interest in reducing the environmental impact of these projects. Unfortunately, the Facilities Management Department does not have the necessary resources to successfully analyze the materials and technologies going into these buildings, despite having the desire to do so. Using the Chris and Ana Kennedy Tower – a press box to be shared between Koskinen Stadium and a new track & field facility – as a case study, this project compiles sustainability best practices for use by the Facilities Management Department in the development of this project and those that will follow in regards to the most prevalent materials and technologies. This was achieved through a literature review and life cycle assessment to best understand the environmental impacts associated with each. As a result, individual recommendations were made for each of these, along with overall recommendations that call for great upstream transparency from suppliers and the opportunity for further studies to be done expand the framework that has been established by this study.